19 March 1945 Timeline

Morning

18 March (19 March off the coast of Japan) is the day we remember and honor the heroism of the crew of USS Franklin. Coincidentally, it’s also the anniversary of Father O’Callahan’s passing in 1964.

Using the USS Franklin CV-13 War Damage Report, I’ve created the timeline of some of the events that occurred on 19 March 1945. Please note that other documents disagree with some of the timing ranging from one minute to 30 minutes or more. (Also posted in the “Files” section.)

0557     (Pre-dawn) Launch of fighter sweep to attack targets on Honshu completed

0617     Task Group Commander orders Condition III set on all antiaircraft batteries and Material Condition Yoke set on all ships. “On Franklin complete Condition III was not actually set but all batteries and all fire control stations except Director II were in condition to open fire immediately… A modified Material Zebra was set. This provided for 1/6 of the crew to be relieved for messing at a time and for one designated hatch (frame 109, starboard) from the hangar to the second deck to be open.”

0649     “…the ship was brought into the wind and speed increased to 24 knots to launch the day’s first heavy strike.”

0657     Launching commenced. Radar screen clear of bogies

0705     Hancock (CV19) reports via TBS (Talk Between Ships, a short-range radio system) that lookouts had spotted a twin-engine enemy bomber.

0706     Hancock reports bogie closing Franklin. “All batteries, surface and bridge lookouts and sky controls were alerted.”

0708     Enemy bomber makes “low-level ‘masthead’ bombing run and drops two bombs.”

Both bombs penetrate the wooden flight deck exploding on the hangar deck. One may have ricocheted off the armored deck exploding just above it. The second is believed to have detonated over the parked aircraft just below the gallery deck level. In the next few minutes, the first of the aircraft bombs begin exploding. These explosions would continue for five hours. The report states that, during this time, 60 of the 66 500 lb. bombs and 7 or 8 of the 250 lb. bombs exploded on the flight deck.

0725     Ship steadied on course with the wind broad on the starboard bow. Speed 16 knots.

0900     USS Miller (DD535) comes alongside and removes the Admirals and their staffs.

0930     USS Santa Fe (CL60) took station one hundred feet off the starboard bow and takes seriously wounded aboard. At about this time conditions in the firerooms, engine rooms, and auxiliary machinery spaces became uninhabitable. Permission was granted to evacuate. Throttles were set to 8 knots, and all boiler fires were extinguished. Steering control was soon lost.

1015     Ship loses headway and begins to swing. Santa Fe cannot remain alongside and casts off lines and backs away.

1050     “…after Franklin had regained a steady heading, Santa Fe came in on the starboard bow slamming into actual contact where she was held by use of  her engines.”

1115     USS Pittsburgh (CA72) ordered to take Franklin in tow. Arrangements begin but towing does not begin until 1400 due to difficulties such as lack of power for the winches.

1225     Santa Fe clears the last of the wounded and “excess personnel.” Her crew also directs hoses on the gasoline fires amidships. USS Hickox (DD 673) and USS Miller approach Franklin’s stern “picking up Franklin’s personnel from the water en route and took off wounded and other personnel trapped on the fantail.”

1000     “…a list to starboard, caused by firefighting water accumulating on the hangar deck and decks below, had increased to eight degrees and continued increasing approximately one degree every ten minutes. Heavy explosions were continuing but at longer intervals.”

Afternoon

1254     Another “Judy” made a low-level attack, is taken under fire by the starboard screen causing the bomb to fall short by about 200 yards.

1300     Major explosions cease although intermittent explosions of 40mm and smaller ammunition continue. Power for lights and ventilation blowers restored.

1400     Towing begins. Rudder shifted by hand positioning gear. Initially towing was difficult due to Franklin’s size, “frequently dragging the Pittsburgh’s stern around.”

1435     Enemy aircraft driven off by anti-aircraft fire and shot down by Combat Air Patrol (CAP).

Evening

1813     Almost all fires out. Deck log-Remarks Sheet reports “Ship darkened except for “small glow from fire…” 

2230     No. 5 boiler lighted off.

2400     Towing speed averaging 4 to 5 knots.